


The Only Easy Day

by DizzyDrea



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Bonding, Family Bonding, Friendship, Gen, Sentinel/Guide Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27111496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: Jason Hayes never expected to come online, though Clay Spenser had been expecting it. Jason was, after all, the most sense-alert latent Sentinel he'd ever met. That didn't mean either of them were prepared for Jason to come online during a rescue mission, nor for the fallout after the mission was over. It'll take all their combined skills to keep Jason's family together and find a way to move forward into uncharted territory. For all of them.
Relationships: Alana Hayes/Jason Hayes, Jason Hayes/Clay Spenser, Stella Baxter/Clay Spenser
Comments: 15
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of my projects for The Little Black Dress challenge on Rough Trade this year. I wrote this from Clay's perspective, so it's an exploration of a Guide and how they handle the changes inherent to bonding. It was fun to explore Clay a little more, and I hope you enjoy it as well.
> 
> Disclaimer: SEAL Team and all its particulars are the property of Benjamin Cavell, CBS Television Studios, and a lot of other people who aren't me. I do this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

Bravo Team went up and over the ship's hull, Bravo One – Chief Master Sergeant Jason Hayes – leading the way as usual. One by one, the rest of the team followed.

They split off as soon as they cleared the hull and landed on the deck. Senior Chief Ray Perry and Bravos Three and Five, along with Cerberus, turned to the left and headed for the engine room. Bravos One, Four and Six took the stairs and the most direct path they could find to the bridge.

There was complete silence as they moved through the ship's superstructure, taking out the guards as they went. They communicated through hand signals and head jerks, hoping to keep their presence quiet for as long as possible. They reached the bridge in no time and fanned out on either side of the door.

Clay Spenser pulled out the infrared device in his pack. He flicked the switch and pointed it at the room beyond the door. There were two heat signatures inside, in virtually the same positions they'd been in during their final check-in with TOC before they'd boarded.

Clay nodded at Jason as he stowed the device and took hold of his gun. They had no way of knowing which man was the ship's Captain and which was the Somali pirate, but it had been a long time since any of the Team had accidentally shot an innocent bystander, so Clay wasn't particularly worried.

Well, not entirely true. He glanced at Jason, opening his empathy just a bit to assess the man's state of mind. He was hyper-focused but edgy, which was a bad combination. Not that Jason would shoot a hostage, because Sentinels weren't wired that way, even if they were still latent. But Clay still worried how Jason might respond if the hostage were harmed in any way when they came through the door, no matter who's fault it was.

Jason held up three fingers, dropping each one by one until only his closed fist was raised. He opened his fist and waved them forward, kicking the door open as they breached. Two shots, center mass, and the pirate was down, the ship's Captain standing with his hands up looking scared but holding it together.

Jason keyed the mic on his radio. "Bravo Two, this is Bravo One. Bridge is clear."

"Good copy, Bravo One," Ray returned. "Engine room is secure."

"Roger that," Jason said. "Head for the hostages. We'll meet you there."

They turned as one and made their way down two flights of stairs to where the rest of the team was waiting. Jason stopped outside the door to the storage area. There'd been a concentration of heat signatures in that room, so they assumed it was where the hostages were being held.

He paused and laid a hand on the door, his eyes closed as if he were listening for any noise coming from the other side. Clay saw Ray glance at him, but he shook his head minutely; Jason wasn't online, but his every move screamed Sentinel, so he couldn't blame Ray for being concerned. He pulled out the infrared device again. Sure enough, there were several heat signatures on the other side, though how many were hostages and how many were hostiles was anyone's guess.

Finally, Jason stepped back, and Sonny moved in with the battering ram. One swing and the door shattered. They poured into the room, shouting and shooting. All four hostiles dropped within seconds, and none of the hostages had been shot, either by a pirate or by Bravo Team.

The lights went up as the hostiles scrambled to their feet, congratulating Bravo Team as they filed out of the room, followed by their hostages. Every member of Bravo Team relaxed, smiles all around at the successful completion of the shoot house.

"Alright, let's reset and we'll run it again," Jason said as he followed the others out of the room.

"What?" Sonny said, confusion writ large over his face. "That's three perfect executions in a row. We got this."

Ray tapped him in the chest with the back of his hand. "And when the boss says run it again, we run it again. We need to be at least five seconds faster on the way over the wall, just in case there are any hostiles we haven't accounted for."

"Man, my ass is killin' me," Sonny muttered as he followed Jason and left the room.

~o~

The Team made their way over the side of the mocked-up ship and down to the staging area. Clay grabbed a water bottle and wandered off to lean on one of the posts holding up the second-story observation deck. He watched his teammates scatter themselves around the space, each lost in his own thoughts.

"He doin' okay?" Ray asked. He leaned a shoulder on the opposite side of the post Clay had chosen and took a drink from his own bottle.

Clay glanced over at Jason, who was pacing and muttering. He didn't need to reach out empathically to know the man was walking a knife's edge right now.

"He's hanging in there," Clay said. "This is pushing his buttons, but you already know that."

"No kidding," Ray said. "What happens if he…"

"Comes online?" Clay asked. He shrugged. "Stay out of his way. I doubt he'd go after any of us. Even in a feral state, most online Sentinels are aware of friend or foe. But, don't get between him and any of the hostages. It won't end well."

"Jesus," Ray muttered as he rubbed a hand down his face.

"Yeah," Clay said. He glanced at Ray, not sure if he should say anything, but he figured that Ray wouldn't hold it against him if he overstepped. Before he could even open his mouth, Ray was talking again.

"Given that, maybe you should be directly on Jason's six. I'd feel better if I knew you were right there, just in case he blows."

"I can do that," Clay said, relieved that he hadn't even had to ask.

"Is that why you joined the team?" Ray asked. He waved a hand just as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "Never mind. None of my business, brother."

"It's okay," Clay said. "From what I understand, they've tried throwing other Guides at him in the hopes he'd come online, but he never has."

"It's unusual, right?" Ray asked. "Being his age and not being online."

Clay waggled a hand in the air. "Eh, sort of. There's no firm timeline for it. Some people come online young and some when they're older. There's a lot we still don't understand about how and why Sentinels and Guides come online. But for someone in our line of work, it's highly unusual to not be online."

Clay wasn't going to speculate out loud about why he thought Jason hadn't come online, but he could make some guesses, based on what he knew of the man after having worked with him for almost a year. He thought maybe it had something to do with Jason's family. That coming online meant having a Guide and to a man like Jason, that would feel like a betrayal of his marriage vows, even if the pair weren't involved romantically or physically.

He'd seen it before, during training just after he'd completed BUDs and before he joined his first Team. BUDs had been where he'd come online, which wasn't at all uncommon for a Guide, or so he'd been told. The high stress environment was apparently the perfect breeding ground for an empathic overload. Clay was just glad he'd come online at BUDs instead of at home.

"Well, I know I don't need to tell you this, but keep an eye on him," Ray said. "This thing could go sideways real fast."

"Any idea when we're gonna get the call?" Clay asked.

"No idea," Ray said, shaking his head. "They're still gathering intelligence. The shipping company is negotiating with the pirates, but I think that's just a stalling tactic until we're ready to go."

"Right," Clay said.

"Alright, let's run it again," Jason yelled out.

Clay took one last drink from his water bottle and pitched the empty container into the trash bin near the table. He followed Ray back to the hull of their ship mock-up. Ray subtly slotted Clay into place between Jason and the rest of the team, giving Clay an eyebrow when Jason merely nodded at them as he turned and began scaling the rope ladder they'd left in place from their last run-through.

~o~


	2. Chapter 2

~o~

"Alright, folks, gather 'round," Lt. Commander Eric Blackburn said as Bravo Team shuffled into the briefing room. They settled into their usual seats, with Jason nearest the front and Clay across from him. "We have a green light for the mission. Wheels up in thirty minutes, so this is your last chance to ask any pertinent questions."

"Do we know how many hostiles are aboard ship?" Jason asked.

"We've seen five patrolling the deck," Blackburn said. "There are still two people on the bridge, so it's likely there's only one pirate on the bridge with the Captain. It's possible the Captain is in with the hostages, which would leave two hostiles on the bridge, so be alert when you breach. We believe there are only three hostiles guarding the crew, but there could be more. The shipping company wasn't clear on just how many crewmembers there were aboard when the ship left port."

"So, what you're sayin' is there could be hostiles hiding among the crew," Sonny said. 

"Yes," Blackburn said. "The Somali government is, needless to say, disinterested in prisoners, so your instructions are to take out the hostiles with all due force. As long as you bring back the hostages, the body count is immaterial."

"Anybody have anything on the crew?" Clay asked, since it seemed like no one else was going to. "What condition do we expect them to be in? Any health issues we need to be aware of."

"Considering the shipping company isn't even sure who's on board, that information is a bit sketchy," Blackburn said.

Mandy Ellis stepped forward. "We have confirmed information on the Captain, First Officer and several of the regular crew. I've done a little digging, and I believe that at least one person on the crew is likely working for or with the pirates. Whether they were bought off or just infiltrated the crew is uncertain at this point."

"How do you want us to handle the hostages once we've taken out the pirates?" Ray asked. "If there are conspirators with the crew, we can't give them the opportunity to stab us in the back."

"Since this is a US flagged ship, you're to bring back all the hostages and we'll sort out who among the crew might be a sympathizer after we've interviewed them," Blackburn said.

"If one of the hostages comes at me, I'm shooting his ass and I don't care what y'all think," Sonny muttered.

Jason let out a low growl, getting everyone's attention. Clay projected calm at him, hoping to head off an outbreak of hostilities at the briefing table. Jason took a deep breath, and Clay could feel him pulling himself back from the brink. It was honestly kind of stunning to see Jason do it, considering that he wasn't online. Satisfied that Jason wasn't going to blow at the table, he returned his attention to the briefing.

"I'm sorting through the rest of the crew's bios," Mandy said. "If I can identify the suspected sympathizer before we land, I'll pass that information on to you."

"Good enough," Ray said when it became clear Jason wasn't going to answer.

"Alright, get your gear and head for the plane," Blackburn said.

The Team stood and started to make their way out of the briefing room and toward their lockers. Ray held out a hand and stopped Clay from leaving the room, glancing around to make sure that no one was around to overhear.

"You sure he's okay?" Ray asked.

Clay took a deep breath. Could he say it for sure? No, but he also didn't think Jason would be a danger to his men or the mission.

"He's hanging on by a thread," Clay said quietly. "It honestly won't take much, I think."

"Great," Ray said as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Not much we can do about it anyway, but if you need anything, you know I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Clay said, flashing a weak smile.

"Now, come on," Ray said, clapping Clay on the shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road."

~o~

The moon was just a sliver in the sky as the Team made its way to the cargo ship, floating just off the Africa coast in the Indian Sea, not far from Mogadishu. That had been one of the deciding factors: having as little moonlight as possible would allow them to move about with less risk of being seen.

Nothing much had changed since the last briefing, which was good. Their only problem was, the longer this went on, the jumpier and more agitated the pirates would be. They risked the pirates getting so frustrated they'd start shooting hostages. That hadn't happened yet, but it was all the more reason to move as quickly as possible.

Their boat glided silently up to the side of the ship, and Sonny used a rope to pull the stairs down so they could use them to access the ship. One by one, starting with Jason, they ascended the stairs and dropped down onto the deck.

The cargo containers soared above them, providing plenty of cover as they moved about the ship. At Jason's direction, they broke off into two-man teams to take out the guards roaming the deck. No one even batted an eyelash when Clay fell in behind Jason, making it clear he'd be watching Bravo One's six.

Specialist Davis called out positions on the guards over the radio, and in no time, all five were down. The Team gathered at the base of the steps up to the superstructure. Jason gave directions, though he hardly needed to. They'd run through this so many times, they all knew each other's dance steps by heart.

Jason, Clay and Trent headed up toward the bridge while the rest went for the engine room. Just like they'd expected, there was only one hostile on the bridge along with the Captain.

"You okay, sir?" Trent asked as he set his pack down and checked the Captain for any injuries.

Jason kicked the hostile's gun away and flipped him over, locking the zip tie around his wrists as he checked for a pulse. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," the Captain said. "He was getting frustrated, started talking about shooting hostages, but I don't think he'd given the order yet. My high school French is a bit rusty, but it didn't sound like he'd ordered anyone shot."

"Bravo One, this is Bravo Two," Ray's voice came over the radio. "Engine room is secure."

"Roger that, Bravo Two," Jason said. "Bridge is secure. We're headed for the hostages now."

"Do you know how many hostiles are guarding the crew?" Clay asked.

"There are four, I think," the Captain said. "One of the crew… He was new. Just signed on for this trip. I think he was helping the pirates. They gave him a gun and told him to stay below and help guard the hostages."

Clay and Trent shared a look. When Clay glanced at Jason, he didn't even need to read him to see the building storm on his face. That wasn't good. He looked back to Trent and tilted his head, hoping the other man got the message. Trent nodded, shouldered his pack and moved toward the door.

"Okay, this one's not going anywhere," Jason said as he joined them. He keyed his radio. "Havoc, this is Bravo One. We are passing Led Zeppelin. Be advised that there is one confirmed hostile posing as crew."

"Good copy, Bravo One," Blackburn said. "We're still seeing three confirmed hostiles with rifles. They do not appear to be alerted to your presence."

"You good to go?" Jason asked the Captain.

"Yeah, I'm good," the Captain said.

"Okay. Stay behind us. If we tell you to duck, you duck," Jason said. "Let's go."

"Got it," the Captain said.

The three of them headed off the bridge and down the stairs to the crew mess. The rest of Bravo Team was already there. Clay pulled out the infrared detector he'd been carrying and pointed it at the door. He glanced up at Jason to find him staring at the door with his head tilted. Clay could swear he was listening to whatever was happening on the other side, except Jason wasn't online. Not that it would take much, at this point.

Clay looked up and gave both Jason and Ray a nod, confirming what they already knew: at least three hostiles and half a dozen crew.

Jason turned and signaled the Captain to wait around the corner, where he would be protected. Once he'd moved out of the way, Sonny took his place in front of the door, battering ram in hand. Jason nodded once, and the door splintered.

Clay wasn't sure who went through the door first, Jason or Cerberus. They both moved like lightening, the rest of the Team pouring into the room behind them. Three of the hostiles dropped almost immediately, but the fourth was holding a handgun on the crewmember he was using as a human shield. A female crew member. Cerberus had stopped in the middle of the room and was growling lowly at the hostile.

Once the shouting and shooting died down, they found themselves in a Mexican stand-off. 

"Get the rest of the hostages out of here," Jason murmured to Ray. 

The hostile watched warily as Ray and the others coaxed the hostages out of the room. Clay took the opportunity to sidle even closer to Jason, hoping his presence alone would help him keep a lid on the brewing storm he could feel rolling off his Team leader.

"This isn't gonna end the way you hope," Jason said to the man. 

The hostile didn't say anything, just adjusted his grip on the gun and pulled the woman he was holding hostage closer. 

Clay tensed as he felt the subtle change in Jason's demeanor. It was like a switch being flipped. One minute he was calm and the next he was exploding into action. 

Cerberus leaped across the room, knocking the hostage away from the hostile at the same moment Jason grabbed the hand holding the hostile's gun and pushed it up and away from the rest of them. The hostage stumbled away and pressed herself against the wall, well away from the fight. Jason didn't even notice, just jammed the heel of his hand into the man's face. Even from across the room Clay could hear the bones breaking. 

The hostile dropped into a heap on the floor. Clay knew he was dead without having to look. Jason turned to him, the wildness in his eyes making even the members of his own team shuffle back a step.

Clay rushed forward and pressed Jason into the wall, putting his full weight behind the effort to keep Jason still. He knew he had no hope of containing a fully online Sentinel if he lost it and went on the attack, but he was counting on their familiarity and the fact that Jason knew he was a Guide to overcome any resistance.

"Dial it down, Sentinel," Clay murmured, just loud enough for Jason to hear. "The hostages are safe. You can stand down now. You hear me?"

Jason looked him in the eye, but he was still too far out of reach. Clay glanced over at the former hostage. She was still holding up a section of wall, watching them with concern and a little fear. That wasn't good and might even be contributing to Jason's alertness.

"Ray, get her out of here," Clay said. "Don't get too close."

He saw Ray edge his way into the room, practically hugging the wall. When he reached the woman, he wrapped an arm around her and guided her away from them. Jason growled a little as he watched the woman being led from the room.

"Ray's just going to take her outside so Trent can check her out," Clay said. 

He heard Ray on the radio, reporting Jackpot and their current status. Blackburn was probably going to have questions, but for right now, they would keep.

Jason finally seemed to come back to himself. He moaned, banging his head lightly on the wall behind him. "I didn't hurt anybody, did I?"

"No, Sentinel, you didn't," Clay said. "Well, nobody who didn't already deserve it."

Jason glanced over at the hostile still laying in a crumpled heap a few feet away. "Well, that's not so bad."

"No, it isn't," Clay said. 

He pulled back, dropping his arm from across Jason's chest. That drew a whine out of Jason, making Clay chuckle. He pulled Jason close, tucking his face into Clay's neck so he could glut himself on Clay's scent. It was the fastest way to calm an upset Sentinel, though it was most often used by bonded pairs. Clay wasn't going to overthink why he was allowing such an intimacy between them, but he knew he'd have to explain it eventually.

Jason's arms found their way around Clay, pulling them into a tight hold. He could feel Jason relax by degrees, though he knew the Sentinel in him wouldn't relax until he was someplace he felt safe. Then, he'd probably crash and wouldn’t that be fun.

Long minutes passed as they just held each other. Eventually, Clay heard footsteps outside the room just as Jason tensed up a bit. Clay thinned his shield just a bit so he could get a better read on how Jason was doing. He'd have to do a more in-depth scan once they returned to base, but for now he wasn't doing too bad. Still edgy, and verging on exhausted, but no longer on high alert.

Clay opened up a little more, finding that Ray was the one standing just outside the door. He was worried but seemed to be handling things fairly well. 

"You need something, Ray?" Clay asked over his shoulder.

"The chopper's inbound, about ten minutes out," Ray said. "He gonna be okay to get on board?"

Clay shifted and spoke directly into Jason's ear. "You need to pull it together. They need to see you walk out to the chopper under your own steam. You up for that?"

Jason didn't say anything, but he nodded his head against Clay's neck.

"I'll be with you every step of the way," Clay said. "The chopper's gonna be rough, so keep your hearing dialed down as far as you can go. You remember how to do that?"

Jason nodded again, took a deep breath and straightened up. Thank God for all the training the Navy made latent Sentinels go through, because otherwise Clay would be dealing with a new Sentinel with out of control senses in the field. Clay stepped around to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jason as he nodded at Ray. Jason keyed his radio and leaned closer to talk.

"Havoc Base, this is Bravo One."

"Bravo One, this is Havoc Base," Blackburn said. Clay could hear the relief in his voice. "You good?"

"I'm good," Jason said. 

It wasn't even a lie; for all that he'd come online in the middle of a stressful situation, he was actually doing well.

"Alright, chopper's inbound with the replacement crew," Blackburn said. "Once it lands, the replacement crew and the retrieval team will disembark, and Bravo Team will board with the hostages and return to base."

"Roger that, Havoc," Jason said. 

He glanced at Clay, who gave him a reassuring nod. When he looked back at Ray, the man was smiling at them.

"Whenever you're ready, brother," he said.

~o~

As soon as they landed at the airport in Nairobi, Jason was off the chopper and headed for the plane. Clay jogged along behind him, keeping a weather eye on his Team Lead. He wished they could have landed closer, but for all that the Somali government wanted the pirates taken care of, they weren't especially willing to allow the assault to originate from their territory.

The helicopter ride itself had been rough. Jason had struggled with his hearing the whole way, alternating between too loud and dialed off, which made him panic because he couldn't restore his hearing to normal levels right away. He'd wanted to appear strong and in control in front of the rest of the team, but he simply wasn't, and that was distressing. Added to that was the fact that the rest of the team was keeping an eye on him, trying to reassure themselves that he was okay. 

Overall, it had been a miserable ride, and Clay didn't expect the plane ride home to be much better.

"Welcome back," Blackburn said as the team boarded the plane. 

Jason nodded at his CO as he walked past, but Clay was the one to acknowledge the man. "Sir."

He turned to stand beside Blackburn as the rest of the Team boarded the plane. Beyond them, a team of doctors and counselors provided by the shipping company were tending to the crew. The chopper lifted up and disappeared into the night sky on its way back to the ship to pick up the retrieval team and the bodies of the pirates.

Ray came up the ramp last. As the three of them moved back inside the plane, the ramp began to raise. Clay could hear the plane's engines fire up, which meant they'd be in the air momentarily. He needed to head back and make sure Jason was sorted for the trip home, but it was obvious that Blackburn wanted to talk to them about what happened on the cargo ship.

"He okay?" Blackburn asked first.

That hadn't been what Clay was expecting, but he'd take it. "The chopper ride was bad. He struggled with the noise the whole way. I think the ride home's gonna be just as bad. I may need to isolate him."

"Can you tell me what set him off?" Blackburn asked.

"One of the pirates was holding a hostage at gunpoint," Clay said quietly. "I felt it the second he flipped on."

"He was pretty controlled," Ray said. "I expected him to get violent, but the only person he hurt was the hostile."

Clay snorted. If by hurt he meant ramming the pirate's nose up into his brain cavity, killing him instantly, then yeah, he'd hurt the man. 

"He stayed aware and in control the whole time," Clay said instead of what he was really thinking. 

He wanted to make sure Jason was covered in all of this. Not that the Navy could punish him for killing a hostile holding a civilian hostage, but bureaucrats the world over had been known to sideline Sentinels who came online violently because they couldn't cope with the primitive nature of the Sentinel.

"Relax, you two," Blackburn said. "I have no intention of punishing Jason for something that was clearly beyond his control. I just want to make sure I have the facts straight. Make sure you submit your AAR as soon as you can, though, just in case."

"You got it," Ray said.

Clay nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Did you two bond in the field?" Blackburn asked Clay. 

Ray sucked in a surprised breath. Clay sighed. "Sir, with all due respect, that's not something I can discuss with you."

Blackburn raised his hands in surrender. "Fair enough. I'm assuming you'll want to use the isolation suite up front for the flight back."

"Yes, we will," Clay said. 

"Alright," Blackburn said. "Go take care of your Sentinel."

Clay nodded rather than dispute the fact that he and Jason were bonded. He headed for the front of the plane where Jason usually set himself up. He found the Sentinel sitting on a pile of gear holding an open beer.

Shaking his head, Clay shed his gear and sat down beside the other man. "You holding up?"

"The beer tastes like crap," Jason said with a huff. He set the mostly full can aside and rubbed both hands over his face. "My clothes don't feel right, the lights are too bright, and I still can't get my hearing to stabilize."

"Cut yourself some slack, Jason," Clay said, nudging the other man with his shoulder. "You came online less than an hour ago. It's going to take a while to level out."

"Fuck," Jason muttered. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I never—this wasn't supposed to happen. I don't want to… Fuck."

Clay glanced around, but it looked like everyone was lost in their own post-mission rituals and no one was paying them any attention. Still, for this conversation, and probably for Jason's sanity while he got a handle on his senses, it would be better for them to move to the isolation room.

"C'mon, let's go," Clay said. He stood up and turned toward the iso room. Jason just sat there, staring at him with a frown on his face. "I don't think anyone's paying much attention to us, but this conversation is best had in isolation. Plus, it'll help you level out your senses."

Jason took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out. "Yeah, okay."

Clay had never known Jason Hayes to be docile and agreeable, so this Jason was kicking up his level of concern. He thinned his shields as they took the few steps up to the upper deck, trying to get a read on the man. He felt the emotional turmoil rear up and smack him in the face. There was a lot to unpack, but chief among the emotions pouring off the man was fear.

They stepped inside the isolation room, and Clay shut the door behind him. Jason's shoulders dropped immediately as all the noises, smells and sights from the main cabin simply disappeared. He flopped down onto the full-sized mattress shoved into the corner and dropped his head into his hands.

Clay sat down next to him and just leaned in, resting his shoulder against Jason's. He practically melted into Clay, and whatever tension was left in him just fled. They sat that way for long minutes, just breathing.

"Thanks," Jason murmured once he'd settled down some.

"Any time," Clay said quietly. 

He thinned his shields a little more, feeling the roiling emotions Jason was trying to keep a lid on flowing out like waves in the ocean. Fear was muted now, but anxiety and confusion were still high. 

Clay sighed. The iso room on a C-130 somewhere over Africa was hardly the place to have any sort of life-altering discussion, but he didn't think Jason's senses were going to level out anytime soon. Plus, he was pretty sure Jason wouldn't want his family to see him when he was such a mess, and that wasn't going to be good for anybody.

But, first things first. He could make the Sentinel more comfortable. That would certainly help. He stood up and went to the footlocker against the bulkhead. When he opened it up, he saw exactly what he was hoping for. He reached in and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, along with a pair of socks. He thought about it for a second, then reached for the boxer briefs tucked into one corner. Might as well make sure none of his clothes were an issue.

"Here," he said, turning around and handing Jason the bundle of clothes. "Get yourself changed. I'll step out and sort myself out while you do that."

The look Jason gave him broke his heart a little. Yeah, things were about to change in a major way for them. Clay would have to settle his mind as much as possible so he'd be in a good headspace for what was to come.

"I'll be back in just a few minutes," Clay said, reassuring him. He crouched down and placed a hand on Jason's, pushing a little calm out toward the other man. It wasn't perfect because they weren't bonded, so Jason was a little resistant to Clay's empathy. "There are wipes in the footlocker, if you need them."

Jason looked at him for a few long seconds, eventually nodding his assent. Clay let out the breath he'd been holding as he stood up and stepped out of the room. The rest of the Team were scattered around the plane, either sleeping or listening to music. No one paid him the least bit of attention as he swapped out his BDUs for the t-shirt and sweatpants he always kept in his pack, just for this type of situation.

He headed back to the room, stepping inside just as Jason was pulling his own t-shirt over his head. Jason settled back on the mattress, scooting back to lean against the wall. Clay crawled up beside him and stretched out his legs, pressing his shoulder into Jason's.

"So," Jason said once he was comfortable.

"So," Clay repeated. "Want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?"

Jason huffed a laugh as he rubbed a hand over his face. "I never expected to come online. I figured if I hadn't before now, it wasn't going to happen."

"You know that's stupid, right?" Clay asked. "The odds of a latent Sentinel on one of the Teams coming online are pretty high."

"Yeah," Jason said. "I just… I'm not sure Alana can handle it. Me being a SEAL and a Sentinel. She doesn't like sharing me with the Team. I can't even imagine what she'll be like when she finds out I'll have a Guide."

"You'd be surprised what people can handle," Clay said. "She's a strong woman. Your Guide will have to make sure he gets along with her, but I don't see a problem."

"Wait, I thought—"

Clay chuckled. "It doesn't have to be me, you know. You're entitled to find the perfect Guide for you. I do suggest you find one soon. I think, because of the way you came online, you're going to have trouble with your senses until you do."

"And if I'd rather have you?" Jason asked, giving Clay the side-eye.

"You don't have to bond with the first Guide you meet," Clay said. "I won't be offended, I promise."

"I trust you," Jason said quietly. "It's why I picked you in the first place. The rest of the Team… They let me choose. We didn't have to have a Guide on the Team, hadn't had one for a while. But there was something about you that I couldn't resist." Jason huffed a laugh. "That sounds stupid."

"It sounds honest," Clay said. "And I'd rather have honesty from you than anything else."

"So, how do we do this?" Jason asked.

"To be clear, we don't have to do it now," Clay said. "We can wait until we get home to bond. I'm in no hurry, though I do think the sooner we do it, the sooner we can get your senses leveled out."

"I'd rather do it now," Jason said. "I have a feeling, once I step out of the iso room, my senses are going to go into overdrive, and I'm not sure I can take that."

"Okay, then I suggest we lay down and get comfortable," Clay said. 

They stretched out on the mattress. Clay tangled his feet with Jason's, earning a smirk from his Team Lead.

"Now, just take me in with your senses," Clay said. "Don't be afraid to touch and taste. While you're doing that, I'm going to lower my shields so I can imprint myself on you."

"Any chance I'm going to get an… unexpected reaction if I touch you?" Jason asked, one eyebrow raised.

Clay shook his head, a small smirk tipping his lips. "No. You're not my type."

Jason chuckled. "Same. Just making sure."

"You ready?" Clay asked.

Instead of answering, Jason reached out and ran his fingers down Clay's face. He could hear the rasp of Jason's fingertips as they passed over the stubble he'd grown in the last month. His hand lingered on Clay's jaw; Clay could feel Jason's fascination with the texture of another man's beard. 

The more Jason explored, the more confident he became. Smell and taste engaged along with touch as he sniffed and licked and touched in random places, committing it all to memory. It was intimate in a way Clay wasn't expecting. Not sexual at all, but more intimate than he'd been with any of his previous sex partners. It was… surprising.

Clay closed his eyes and lowered his shields by degrees as Jason continued his exploration. Jason filled his mind, all that he was and thought and felt, bright as technicolor blooming in his mind. Clay answered that vibrancy, flooding Jason's mind with his own, filling in the cracks and crevices and locking them together like puzzle pieces.

Neither man was aware of the passage of time as they filled each other's senses with the other. They finally fell into an exhausted sleep curled around each other, oblivious to the world outside.

~o~


	3. Chapter 3

~o~

The C-130 taxied down the runway and rolled to a stop in front of the hangar. Clay and Jason had emerged from the iso room about thirty minutes before they landed. No one paid them much mind; everyone was busy pulling their gear together and getting ready to disembark.

The ramp lowered, bringing with it the bright light of day. Clay squinted but couldn't really see anything. He felt more than saw Jason step up beside him. Glancing over, he caught Jason's inscrutable stare from behind his sunglasses. Underneath, Clay could still feel some turmoil, but it was far less than before they'd bonded.

"You ready for this?" Clay asked quietly.

Jason took a deep breath. "Let's go."

They walked down the ramp together, the rest of the team following behind. There'd be formal debriefs later, but from what Ray had said, the Team had talked through the mission while Clay and Jason had been isolated. Clay had appreciated that they'd left the two of them alone, but he didn't want their bond to disrupt the normal operation of the Team. Hopefully, they'd all learn to adjust.

They rounded the building and headed for the parking lot. Clay wasn't sure what to expect. He'd driven himself in because they hadn't been sure when the order to deploy would come, and they wanted to train as much as they could before they left. So, he hadn't seen or talked to Stella in a couple of days. He hadn't been paying attention to whether Jason had talked to Alana, but that conversation was probably going to be hard no matter how long it had been.

Clay saw Stella first, leaning against the bed of his truck. She smiled and waved at him as soon as she saw him. He glanced around, seeing Alana and the kids gathered around Jason's truck, which was sitting directly across from Clay's. He felt a twinge of concern from Jason and caught the pinch in the man's eyes behind the sunglasses when he glanced over.

"Good to see Alana here," Clay said quietly.

"Yeah," Jason said, but there was no enthusiasm behind it.

"It'll be fine," Clay said. "I'll drive over in my truck. We'll tell her together."

"What about Stella?" Jason asked.

Clay couldn't help but glance over at her where she stood, smiling at him. He smiled and sketched a small wave.

"I'll talk to her," Clay said. "I'll make sure she understands."

"And you're okay coming to live with us?" Jason asked. He stopped and turned to face Clay. "I don't want you to feel like you don't have a choice."

"It's really not a choice, Jason," Clay said gently. "You're not going to tolerate me living someplace else. We talked about this on the flight. I'm not especially in love with my apartment, anyway. It's just a place to keep my shit."

Jason huffed a laugh, as Clay intended. "Okay. I just don't want you to feel like you're not free to go about your life. I mean, I can't promise I won't violate the fuck out of your privacy with my senses, but I'll try to keep a lid on it as much as I can."

"No, don't," Clay said. "Don't dial your senses down for my sake. I'll get used to it, and I promise I'll tell you when I need you to back off."

"Like when you bring Stella over?" Jason asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm not gonna apologize for liking sex, Jason," Clay said with a smile. 

"Yeah, okay," Jason said. "See you later?"

"I'm just gonna go by my place and pack up some stuff," Clay said. "Then I'll be over."

"Right," Jason said.

It was clear he didn't really want to leave Clay; not that Clay wanted him to leave either. Their bond was still so new it was thrumming in his head. They'd be okay to separate for a couple of hours, but any more than that would probably make them both jumpy.

Clay watched as Jason greeted his family, giving his wife and both kids big hugs. Alana looked over at him before she got into the truck, a confused frown on her face. He'd have to keep an eye on that situation. 

"Hey," Stella said as she walked up to him. "Were you going to stand over here all day?"

Clay smiled and pulled her into a hug. "No. Just making sure Jason got off okay. He had a rough time."

"Is he okay?" she asked as she pulled back. 

She pressed a hand to his face and pushed up on her toes to kiss him. Clay felt the heat bloom inside, the same thing he felt every time he kissed her. She was excited to see him; she was practically humming with it. He felt a little bummed that he'd have to push off any more intimate reunion with her for a couple of days. Hopefully, she'd understand why.

"He'll be alright," he said. They wandered over to his truck so he could drop his bag into the bed. He pulled her close again and smiled down at her. "He came online on this mission."

"Online?" Stella asked. "As in, he's a Sentinel and he's online? Oh my god. Is he okay? Will he need a Guide?"

"He's okay," Clay said again. "And he has a Guide. Me."

"You're a Guide?" she asked. She took a step back, shaking her head. "Why didn't you tell me? This is huge. I mean, I wasn't expecting you to break up with me in the parking lot after a mission, but—"

"Whoa, whoa," Clay said, darting forward and taking her hands. He pushed a little calmness into her, trying to pull her back from the spiral she was working herself into. "First of all, just because I'm Jason's Guide doesn't mean we have to break up. And second, I didn't tell you because my online status wasn't relevant. I wasn't expecting to bond. Ever. So, I didn't mention it."

"I—I don't understand," Stella said. "Don't Sentinels and Guides always bond? Isn't that how it works? I mean, that's how it is—"

"You should know better than to believe what the entertainment industry says about anything," Clay said. "I'd be happy to explain it to you sometime. You can ask me any questions you want to. I promise I won't hold anything back."

"But not today," Stella said. She deflated a little. "You can't do it today because he needs you."

"Yes, he does," Clay said gently. "We bonded on the plane on the way home. It's not ideal, because most of the time, a newly bonded pair will isolate for at least 24 hours. But if you'll give me a couple of days, I'll sit down with you and we can talk it all out. Meanwhile, I can give you a link to some information that you won't find anywhere else. So, you can read up."

"I'd like that," Stella said.

"I know," Clay said with a smile. "You like information. The more the better. And that way, it'll balance the scales the next time we talk."

"Where is this information?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"The Cascadia Foundation," he said. "There's a section of the website for family members to log in and learn about Sentinels and Guides. There are chat forums and FAQs. All sorts of information that the general public doesn't get. You just have to promise you won't talk about it with anyone else outside the community."

"You'd give me that?" she asked. It wasn't hard to catch the surprise she was feeling. "You'd tell them we're family?"

"You are family," he said. "And if you do plan to stick around, you'll become part of Jason's family, too. If that's what you want."

Stella nibbled on her lower lip. It took a monumental amount of restraint to not just pounce on her and kiss the hell out of that bruised lip. Instead, he took a deep breath and raised his shields, blocking her out.

"Okay, I'll look at the site," Stella said.

Clay didn't melt with the relief he felt, but it was close. "Good. I'll send you the link, and I'll call as soon as I can."

"Okay," she said. She darted in and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Take care of yourself."

She dashed off before he could say anything else. He watched her jog over to her car and practically peel out of the parking lot. When she'd disappeared around the corner, he pulled out his phone and sent her a text with the website and login information, hoping it would be enough to keep her from doing something rash like breaking up with him before they could really talk.

~o~

Clay parked his truck in front of Jason's house and shut off the engine. He paused and took a deep breath. Facing Alana and the kids with this new change to all their lives wasn't going to be easy. If he let himself, he could get really worked up, but that wouldn't help anyone.

Instead, he ran through a breathing exercise one of his instructors in Guide training had taught him. When he opened his eyes, he glanced up to the front porch to find Jason standing there in the open doorway, arms crossed, looking worried.

Clay hopped out of the truck and jogged up the front walk.

"God, you're like an over-eager puppy," Jason grumbled. He yanked Clay close and buried his nose in Clay's neck as he wrapped his arms around the man. 

"Were you worried I wouldn't show?" Clay asked, smiling at the thought that he'd caught Jason out even as he sank into the embrace himself, relief coursing through him at being reunited with Jason.

Jason just huffed as he pulled back. "Come on inside. Alana's being weird, which means she knows something's up. We better tell her before she gets mad."

"Yeah," Clay said.

"Hey, how'd it go with Stella?" Jason asked as he turned to walk into the house.

"She's—"

"Do not say she's fine," Jason said. "I can see by the pinched look in your eyes that it was anything but fine."

"Okay, she's not fine," Clay said. Jason turned to look at him as Clay closed the front door. "She was upset that I hadn't told her. I gave her the link to the website. I'm hoping more information will keep her from doing something stupid."

"Who's upset?"

Both men turned to see Alana standing there, staring at them. It was embarrassing to have someone sneak up on an online Sentinel and his Guide.

"Stella was," Clay said, regrouping a little. "We talked a bit, but I think she needs some time to process."

"Process what?" Alana asked.

"Are the kids still in the living room?" Jason asked, even though they could see and hear them from where they were standing.

"Yeah," Alana said. She had a confused frown on her face, like Jason was being deliberately obtuse, which he was, because as segues go, that was terrible. "Is that why you're here, Clay?"

"Let's all go inside, and we'll tell you what's going on," Clay said.

He chivvied Jason and Alana into the living room, where both kids were—rather miraculously, Clay thought—still hanging out. They sat down, Clay on the side chair and Jason with the kids and Alana on the couch.

"Hey, Clay," Emma said. "I thought you'd be at home or hanging with Stella."

"Yeah, well, something happened on this mission, and we need to talk to you about it," Clay said.

Mikey's head popped up from his phone. He looked from Jason to Clay to Alana, then back to his Dad. "It's nothing bad, is it?"

"Nothing bad, I promise," Jason said. "I came online while we were gone, and Clay and I bonded on the flight home."

Clay thought he probably could have been less abrupt with his announcement, but Jason Hayes was used to being a blunt instrument. Subtle was definitely not in his wheelhouse. 

There was silence in the room as each member of Jason's family stared, first at Jason and then at Clay. He thinned his shields just a bit, so he could take the temperature in the room. Jason was still nervous, which was almost drowning out everyone else's emotions. But, when he shunted Jason's emotions aside, he could feel the rest of them.

Emma was mostly curious, with a healthy dose of teenage 'oh how sweet' thrown in. Mikey was wary, which Clay could understand. Clay was basically invading his family, and until they all got used to living with each other, he expected the kids to feel territorial over their father.

Alana was another story entirely. She was hurt and jealous, but there was a layer of shame over those emotions, as though she understood how unreasonable she was being. Clay would have to keep an eye on her; he didn't want to come between Jason and his wife, especially considering they wouldn't be sexual partners as well as Sentinel and Guide.

"Say something, Alana," Jason said.

It was the wrong thing to say, because Alana instantly got defensive. "What do you want me to say, Jason? That I'm happy for you? That this changes nothing? You've got a Guide now. Where does that leave me?"

"And I think that's our cue, Mikey," Emma said. She jumped up from her seat and grabbed her brother's hand. "Come on. I'll let you beat me up in Call of Duty."

Mikey didn't seem to sense the tension in the room, or else he was ignoring it. Either way, he followed his sister out of the room and up the stairs.

When Clay looked back at Alana she was sitting with her head in her hands, with Jason wrapped around her and trying to comfort her. She wasn't crying, so that was at least something. But she was still upset. 

"Alana," Clay said. He waited until she looked up at him. "I may be Jason's Guide, but you're his wife. I'm not taking your place; I'm just here to support Jason's senses. I know this is going to be a difficult adjustment, but I'm hoping that if we get to know each other, we can become a team. The three of us—or maybe more like the five of us."

"Six, if you count Stella," Jason said. "This is what they talked about when they told us about Sentinel families. All these… people."

Clay chuckled, and much to his surprise, so did Alana. 

"Yeah, they did talk about this, back when you enlisted," Alana said. "It's why they insisted on Sentinel housing for us, even though you were latent."

That explained the large, two-story house they were living in. Military Sentinels—whether they were online or merely latent—were normally assigned to Sentinel housing, which was a two-story house with a master bedroom on both the first and second floors, along with everything else large homes normally had.

"I'm not trying to disrupt your life," Clay said gently. "And I'll understand if you don't want me living with you. It wouldn't be easy, but I'm not interested in forcing you into anything."

Jason gave a low growl at that. Clay shot him a look along with a little bit of calming over their bond.

Alana shook her head. "No, I get it. This was always a possibility. I guess I just wasn't expecting it. He hadn't come online, and after so many years I stopped thinking he would."

"You and the kids will always come first with me," Jason said. He pressed a kiss to Alana's head even as he looked at Clay, who nodded at him. "I'm not leaving you for Clay or anyone else. I promise."

"I know," Alana said. Clay could sense her certainty, so at least she believed that. "Let me show you to your room, Clay. There aren't any sheets on the bed; they're in the closet, so it won't take me long to make up the bed."

Clay stood up, waving both Jason and Alana back down when they made to get up with him. "Stay. I can make the bed."

"Alright," Alana said. "We're just doing take-out tonight. It's what we usually do when Jason comes home from a mission."

"That's fine," Clay said with a smile. "I'll eat just about anything, really. Well, except for pineapple on a pizza."

Alana made a face. "I'm right there with you."

"Pineapple and ham pizza is great," Jason said.

"You heathen," Clay said. He got up and headed for the door so he could get his bag, dodging Jason's swipe as he went by. "I'll just go get my room squared away. Let me know when dinner is ready."

Before they could say anything more, he slipped out the front door. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. That had gone better than he'd expected. Of course, he'd been expecting a twenty-car pile-up on the I-10, so anything would be better than that. Still, he'd keep an eye on things, just to make sure they were all adjusting well.

~o~


	4. Chapter 4

~o~

Clay wandered into the kitchen to find Emma washing dishes. Well, she'd probably been baking, but to Clay it just looked like a big mess.

"Need any help?" he asked as he leaned against the island—on the side where there was no mess.

"Oh, hey, Clay," Emma said, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you," he said.

Emma smiled at him. "It's okay, I'm used to it. My Dad seems to do it all the time. He's like the most Sentinel-like Sentinel ever. Even before he came online."

"Yeah, he really is," Clay said, chuckling at how right she really was. "So, you want some help?"

"Sure," she said. 

He walked around the island and stopped in front of the bowl she'd been mixing. Peering inside, he recognized what he thought was probably cookie dough. At least, it looked like what his mother used to make whenever he brought home good grades.

"Chocolate chip cookies," Emma said without him having to ask. She dropped the bag of chocolate chips beside the bowl. "Add those to the batter, please."

"All of them?" Clay asked as he picked up the bag.

"Yep, all of them," Emma said. "Dad likes his chocolate chip cookies really chocolatey."

"I can get behind that," Clay said.

He picked up the bag and poured in a bunch of chocolate chips, then grabbed the spoon and started mixing. Even though he worked out and had pretty muscular arms, he was still struggling a bit to get the chips incorporated into the dough.

"Now you know why I always wait until Dad shows up to mix in the chocolate chips," Emma said.

Clay laughed. "Mercenary. I like it."

"Just smart," Emma said, but she was smiling as she said it.

While Clay added the last of the chocolate chips, Emma warmed up the oven and pulled out the cookie sheets. Once he was finished, she started scooping out balls of dough and dropping them on the cookie sheet.

When the cookies finally went into the oven, Clay and Emma stood side by side, staring at the oven as time ticked down on the timer.

"So, how are you doing?" Clay asked with what he hoped was a nonchalant tone. He thinned his shields a bit to get a read on her as they talked.

Emma's rolled eyes told him he'd missed the mark.

"I'm fine," she said. "Why? You worried?"

"It's my job to worry," Clay said, shrugging. "But about you, not especially. There's just been a lot of change around here, so I want to make sure you're okay with it all. And make sure you know that you can talk to me if you need to."

"Thanks, Clay," Emma said. She nudged his shoulder with her own. "But I'm good. Mom and Dad explained the whole Sentinel thing when I was a kid. I guess I thought he'd never come online because he hadn't until now."

He could feel her certainty, along with contentment, which was a good sign. It meant she was coping well with the whole situation and he didn't need to worry about her as much.

"There's no real timeline for these sorts of things," Clay said. "And it's not ideal, how your Dad came online, so it's probably going to take him a while to adjust. Has he apologized yet for hearing something you didn't want him to?"

"Oh my god, yes!" she said. "I was talking to one of my friends on the phone, and he asked about it later. Totally embarrassing."

Clay chuckled. "He's gonna be like that for a while, so just try not to hold it against him."

"How long is a while?" Emma asked with a frown.

"Don't know." He shrugged. "But I'll keep an eye on him and make sure it doesn't get weird."

"Thanks," Emma said. "Just… thanks."

Clay dropped an arm over her shoulder and hugged her close. "Anytime."

~o~

Clay had a plate of fresh cookies in hand when he went looking for Mikey. He had no idea what to expect from the kid. He'd mostly stayed in his room, but Clay got the feeling that that wasn't all that unusual. Still, he wanted to check in to make sure he was coping well with all the changes.

Mikey's door was open, and the kid was playing a video game when Clay knocked on the doorjamb.

"Hey, mind if I come in?" he asked. "I have cookies."

Mikey looked up, definitely interested in the cookies, if nothing else. "Sure."

Clay walked in and sat down on the other chair in the room, setting the plate of cookies down near the TV. Surprisingly, the kid wasn't playing Call of Duty like he'd expected. Instead, he was playing Gran Turismo. 

"You mind if I join you?" 

Mikey shrugged, never taking his eyes off the screen. Clay grabbed a cookie and settled back in his chair, opening up a little bit to get a feel for where the kid was at. Thankfully, he didn't seem angry that Clay was there—either in his room or in the house, he couldn't really tell—just a little uncertain, which Clay could definitely understand. He took a bite of the cookie and nearly moaned at the taste.

"Oh god," he said, closing his eyes. He felt Mikey's attention swing to him, and sure enough when he turned and opened his eyes, Mikey was staring at him. "The cookie. It's awesome. You should try it."

"Emma made them?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah," Clay said. "Well, I put the chocolate chips in, but she made the dough. You should try one."

Mikey set down the controller and grabbed a cookie, shoving almost half the cookie in his mouth. "Dad really likes chocolate chip cookies, so Emma always makes them this way."

"She told me," Clay said. He could tell that, while Mikey liked the cookie, it wasn't the nearly orgasmic feeling Clay had gotten, which made him wonder whether Mikey even liked chocolate chip cookies. "So, what's your favorite?"

"Cookie?" Mikey asked. When Clay nodded, Mikey shrugged. "I like chocolate chip cookies."

"Try again, kid," Clay said.

Mikey frowned. "Are you reading my mind?"

Clay could tell he didn't like that. "That's not how it works. I can sense your emotions, but only because mundanes can't really keep themselves from broadcasting their emotions all over the place. I tend to keep my shields up around the people I live and work with out of respect for their privacy."

"But you just did it to me," Mikey pointed out reasonably.

"I did," Clay said, offering an apologetic smile. "I wanted to make sure you were okay with me living here now. I realize we didn't really ask you how you felt about it, so I wanted to make sure you weren't angry that I've moved in."

"I'm not angry," Mikey said. He shoved more of the cookie in his mouth. 

"But you're not exactly happy about it either," Clay said. "Anything I can do to make it easier?"

Mikey polished off the rest of the cookie and picked up his controller again, but he didn't restart the game. Clay could feel a host of emotions moving through him, but none lasting long enough for him to get a handle on. Finally, when it looked like Mikey might not say anything at all, he looked over at Clay.

"Do you think I might become a Sentinel, like Dad?"

Clay blew out a surprised breath. Of all the things he might have been thinking, that was probably the one thing he hadn't expected.

"I have no idea," Clay said, aiming for honesty. Mikey's shoulders tensed as he looked back to the TV. "Sentinels and Guides tend to produce children with the gene, but there's no guarantee that you have it. You could be a Sentinel or a Guide. Or completely mundane."

Mikey's head whipped around, his eyes huge. "I could be a Guide? But I thought—"

"That you'd be a Sentinel because your father's a Sentinel," Clay finished for him. He paused before saying anything else, then cocked his head as he opened his empathy up further. "Honestly, I don't get a Sentinel vibe from you. Which doesn't mean you aren't, just that you don't feel like a budding Sentinel."

"You can tell that just by… reading me?" Mikey asked, resonating with surprise.

"Usually," Clay said. "It's not definitive, but Sentinels—even latent ones—have a certain… feel, for lack of a better term. If it worries you, we can have you tested, but the truth is that even if you are a Sentinel, you might never come online, so it's not really something you should worry about."

"Yeah, maybe," Mikey said, shrugging.

"Do you mind if I ask what bothers you about being a Sentinel?"

Mikey shrugged again. "I like playing hockey, and my coach says I'm really good. What if I want to play hockey? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let me play if I was a Sentinel."

"Nobody better tell Wayne Gretzky that," Clay muttered, just loud enough for the kid to hear.

"Seriously?" Mikey practically shouted. "Wayne Gretzky is a Sentinel?"

"Yep," Clay said, popping the 'p' for effect.

"And they let him play hockey?" Mikey asked. "How come nobody knows that?"

"Well, it's widely known in the S&G community," Clay said. "The NHL has rules about Sentinels playing in the league. Most professional sports do, actually."

"But I thought Sentinels were supposed to be cops and soldiers," Mikey said. 

"There are Sentinels who are doctors and teachers and all sorts of other professions," Clay said. "But the one thing they all have in common is that they serve the community they live in. Not every Sentinel is cut out to be a soldier, but they can all use their senses to contribute to society."

"How come I never knew any of this?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know," Clay said. "There's a website you can look at, though. If you're interested in finding out more. The Cascadia Foundation put it together for families of Sentinels and Guides, to answer any questions you might have."

"Cool," Mikey said.

Clay chuckled. He'd never had kids, or any experience with kids, but it seemed like he was doing okay.

"You play Call of Duty?" Mikey asked as he reached for another cookie.

"A little," Clay said. "Don't have a lot of time for video games, but I've played a few times. You wanna play?"

"Yeah," Mikey said. He paused briefly. "Peanut butter."

"What?" Clay asked, totally confused.

"The cookies I like," Mikey said. "Peanut butter."

"Okay, then," Clay said, warmth blooming inside at having been trusted with that information. He'd bet good money that nobody else in the family knew that about Mikey. Maybe Emma would be willing to learn how to make peanut butter cookies if he asked.

Mikey polished off his second cookie and reached for the spare controller, handing it to Clay and then swapping out the game.

"You ready?" Mikey asked once he had everything set up.

Clay smiled, relieved to know that Mikey was accepting of his place in Jason's home. "Let's go."

~o~

Clay was practically vibrating out of his skin by the time the doorbell rang. He'd been sitting on the living room couch, so just a few quick steps brought him to the door. He yanked it open to find Stella standing on the other side, looking worried and unsure.

"Hey," he said, flashing a smile. "Come in."

"Hi," she said, her own smile a little weak. 

She stepped inside, but stopped short of the living room, just looking around. Clay had liked the place almost instantly. Alana had really done a great job with the house. It was homey and inviting in a way his apartment could never be. In the end, he hadn't even kept a single piece of furniture from his old place; they'd just moved his clothes and mementos and called it good.

"It's nice," Stella said, echoing Clay's thoughts.

"Alana did a great job decorating," Clay said. "Come on. I'll show you my room."

He led her around the corner to a bedroom on the front of the house. It was bigger than he'd expected, with a large window facing the street and his own private bathroom. When he'd first moved in, there had only been the bed, but as the weeks had rolled by, he'd acquired a dresser and a couch near the window.

"Wow," Stella said as she followed him into the room. "This is a pretty big room."

"Sentinel housing has its perks," Clay said. He leaned out the door and spoke quietly to his Sentinel, who was out on the back deck. "Hey, Jason. Can you give us some privacy?"

Stella looked at him like he'd lost his damn mind as he closed the door and guided her over to the couch. He settled at one end, allowing her to choose just how close to him she wanted to sit.

"I read about that on the website," she said as they settled in, Stella sitting closer to him than he'd expected. "About how Sentinels normally have a house with two masters, so their Guide has a room all to themselves. I guess I didn't expect that. I thought you'd be sharing with Jason."

"Well, considering he's married—and we're both straight—that's a hard no," Clay said.

"Yeah, see, that's where you lose me," she said, shaking her head. "I thought Sentinels and Guides always formed some sort of relationship. But you're saying that's not true?"

"Well, the most recent statistics available suggest that around ten percent of the general population is homosexual," he said. "It's not much different within the Sentinel and Guide population, although there may be more bisexuals in the S&G population, because the vast majority of Sentinels and Guides are male."

"Huh," she said. 

He shrugged. "It's not like it's something we talk a lot about. I mean, compatibility is so much more important that sexuality. At least, in a Sentinel and Guide relationship it is."

"And you and Jason were compatible?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were," Clay said, smiling. "We are. We've always worked well together, so it was easy to slide into a bond."

"But not a sexual relationship," she said, though it sounded a little like a question.

Clay had decided not to try to read her, wanting an honest conversation without his empathy feeling like an unfair advantage. Right about now, he was regretting that choice.

"No, no sex," he said. "Right now, we're probably like good friends. The longer we're bonded, the more we'll feel like family. At some point, we'll probably be as close as brothers, but that's a way off yet."

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to just start interrogating you."

"It's okay," he said. "I knew you'd have questions. Ask me anything you want. There are some things I won't talk about, but for the most part, I'm an open book."

"So, how would it even work between us?" Stella asked.

Clay thought that might be the one question she wanted answered.

"Not much would actually need to change," he said. "Since my relationship with Jason isn't romantic or sexual, you and I can keep seeing each other. Jason will probably want to do an imprint on you, because he's going to be neurotic about his family and those who are close to us. He'll probably come off as an overprotective brother, actually."

"He wouldn't mind us dating?" she asked. "Or having sex?"

"He'll probably wrinkle his nose and bail out of the room the first time he smells sex on us, but he's not gonna tell me no," Clay said. "That'd be kinda hypocritical of him. He can have sex with his wife, but I can't have sex with my girlfriend? Yeah, that's not gonna fly."

"He can smell that?" Stella asked. Clay didn't even need to be reading her to sense her horror at the very thought.

"Yeah, he can smell changes in your scent profile," Clay said. "He can see details most of us would never even notice, like faint scratches or love bites. And unless I tell him to not listen, he'll hear everything we do and say." 

"He heard you. When you stuck your head out the bedroom door and asked for privacy, he heard you from wherever he was in the house."

"Yeah, he did," Clay said. He took a deep breath. "Dating a bonded Guide isn't any easier than dating a SEAL, to be honest. So, I want you to be sure that you can handle it before we go any further."

"I don't…" Stella trailed off and took a deep breath, a slightly hysterical laugh bursting out of her, clearly without her permission. She shoved a hand through her hair and sighed. "I love you. I'm not sure I even realized it until sometime this week, when I hadn't seen you for a few days and I was missing you like crazy."

"I love you too," Clay said. "But I don't want to pressure you into anything."

She cocked her head in a way so reminiscent of Jason that Clay was momentarily startled. "Are you reading my mind right now?"

"No, I'm not," he said, shaking his head. "I can't actually read minds. At best, I can get a sense of your emotional landscape. I have a limited ability to influence someone's mood, but that sort of thing always leaves me with a headache, so I try not to do it often."

"And you use that ability to help your Sentinel manage his senses," she said.

"Sort of," he said. "What I really do is give Jason something to focus his senses on that's consistent. Sort of like a baseline. I can also monitor his emotional landscape and help him manage his reactions to any situation. But bonding helps me as much as it helps him."

"How?" she asked.

"Well, part of what makes it possible for Sentinels and Guides to use their abilities is access to psionic energy," Clay said. "Sentinels are actually manipulating psionic energy when they expand their senses, and Guides use psionic energy to sense the emotions of the people around them. Sentinels are also able to bolster a Guide's mental shields, which makes it possible for me to block out the ambient noise of other people's emotions."

"You mean, you couldn't block out other people's emotions before you were bonded?" Stella asked. "That sounds terrible."

"It's not fun," he said. "I actually had decent shields before Jason and I bonded, so I was able to block out a lot, but when I was tired or injured, I couldn't focus enough energy on my shields, so it generally took me longer to heal up because I wasn't able to get the rest I needed."

"But now that you have Jason, he helps you block out pretty much everything," she said.

"Pretty much," he said.

"Were you able to… block me out, when we were together?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yeah, I was," he said, a small smile tipping his lips. "The only time it was hard was when you were talking about something you were really excited about. Your mind is even quiet when you sleep, which is kind of unusual for a mundane. But it made it easy for me to sleep with you, so I'm not complaining."

"Well, that's something, at least," she said, giving a weak smile.

"Look, I know this is a little scary," Clay said. "We can go as fast or as slow as you want. Or, we can call the whole thing off. It's up to you."

"No," Stella said, almost immediately. "No, I don't want to just call it off."

"Okay," he said.

"Maybe we could spend some time together?" she asked. "Maybe I could get to know Jason and his family. I think I'd like to see you two together, see how you fit. Would that be okay?"

"Yeah, that would be just fine," Clay said. "I'll check with Jason and Alana and see what day would be good for them. You could come over for dinner and hang with the family."

"I'd like that, I think," Stella said, flashing another small smile.

Clay smiled back. "I'd like that, too."

~o~

Clay wandered out to the deck to find Jason sitting with a glass of iced tea, just staring off into the distance. He grabbed a glass off the tray and poured himself some tea, then sat down across from Jason.

"Rough?" Jason asked.

"Eh, not terrible," Clay said. He took a sip of tea, going back over his conversation with Stella. "We cleared some things up. She wants to come over and spend some time with the family. Get to know you guys."

"That's good," Jason said. He glanced over at Clay. "You look worried. What are you worried about?"

Clay sighed. "That she'll change her mind again. I love her, you know? And I don't want to lose that. Lose her."

"Considering she didn't run at the first opportunity, I doubt you're going to lose her," Jason said. "But I'll make sure the kids are on their best behavior when she comes over. Will that help?"

"Just make sure you're on your best behavior, too," Clay said, smirking at Jason. "I'm not sure how she'll react to anything overtly Sentinel."

"If she's going to freak out, better that she does it and gets it over with than for you to wait for the other shoe to drop," Jason said. "Besides, it's not like I can turn this off."

"No, it's not," Clay said. "And I don't want you to. I just… I don't know. Maybe I'm worried over nothing. She came over today, and she didn't have to. She could have just ghosted me."

"You sound like one of my kids," Jason said with a snort.

"Great," Clay said. "Where's Alana?"

"She had a client today," Jason said. "Said she'd be back in a couple of hours."

Clay nodded. "How's she doing?"

"Eh," Jason said, shrugging a bit. 

Something about that pinged Clay hard, so he focused on Jason's emotional state. He could sense Jason's frustration and worry, which could be about almost anything, but Clay figured it was directly related to Alana.

"I've tried to stay out of things between you two," Clay said. "You don't need me mucking around in your marriage, but if you think she'd benefit from talking to me, I'm happy to do it."

Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He got up and walked to the railing, turning around and leaning back with his arms crossed.

"I'd like to say she'll get over it, but I don't know," Jason said quietly. "We didn't think I'd come online, and now that I have, I think she doesn't know what to do with that."

"I get it," Clay said. "I never expected to come online as a Guide, and even after I did, I never expected to bond. Coping with a rapidly changing life isn't easy. I'll talk to her, see if I can help."

"Yeah, okay," Jason said. 

It didn't seem like that made Jason feel any better, so Clay got up and invaded Jason's personal space, pulling him into a hug. Jason immediately buried his nose in Clay's neck, inhaling deeply. He relaxed almost instantly into Clay's arms.

"What else?" Clay asked as they held each other.

"I think we were headed for divorce before I came online," Jason mumbled into Clay's neck. "I—I don't know if I could handle it if she left. Even with you here, I'm not—I can't lose her."

"Let me talk to her," Clay said quietly. "I can't promise anything, but I'll talk to her and see if I can help."

"Thank you," Jason whispered.

"You're welcome," Clay said, rather than just brushing off the thanks like he wanted to. 

This was obviously important to Jason, and Clay understood that perfectly well. To a Sentinel, divorce equaled failure, and they didn't cope with failure well at all. Clay would do everything he could to keep that from happening.

~o~

Several days later, Clay found his opportunity to talk to Alana. She was in the kitchen making dinner, so Clay figured he'd offer to help and chat along the way.

"Hey," he said as he wandered into the kitchen.

Alana turned and gave him a small smile. "Hey, yourself."

"You want any help?"

"Sure," she said. She'd tried treating him like an honored guest for the first couple of days, but Clay had put an end to that as soon as he'd figured out what was going on. He wasn't going to live in her home and not contribute as much as he could. "You could cube the potatoes for me. I'm going to roast them, so one-inch cubes would be great."

"I can do that," Clay said. 

He picked up the knife she'd laid out beside the cutting board and the pile of freshly washed potatoes and got to work. Several minutes passed as he worked through the first few potatoes while Alana seasoned the chicken and got the biscuit batter ready to go.

"So, have you settled into your room okay?" she asked, just as Clay was getting ready to break the silence.

"I have," he said, smiling. They'd gotten the standard grant from the local S&G Center for a newly bonded pair that would allow them to set up Clay's room without burdening the family with more expenses. Clay never spent much of his salary, so he could have afforded to buy stuff for his new room, but this way no one had to dip into their savings. "The couch was a great find. I've been enjoying sitting there at night to read a little before I go to bed."

"We still need to get you a TV for your room," Alana said. "I get the feeling like you're only tolerating the Glee reruns out of the goodness of your heart."

"I actually don't mind Glee," Clay said. "Jason seems to actively hate it, though."

"Jason hated Gilmore Girls, too," she said, rolling her eyes. "Thankfully, he seems to like Game of Thrones. I'd have divorced him otherwise."

Clay chuckled, but internally, he was concerned. His read on her emotional landscape was troubling. She was stressed and worried, with an additional layer of confusion. It reminded him of Stella so much that he had to actually stop cutting potatoes in order to focus on that for a moment.

Stella had been afraid that her place in Clay's life was in jeopardy because of his bond to Jason. What if Alana was afraid of the same thing?

"Hey, you forget how to cut potatoes?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts with a quiet word and a hand on his arm. 

He smiled at her, intrigued by her use of a technique for bringing a Sentinel out of a zone. It was surprising that she knew that, but maybe he should have expected it. She'd been married to Jason for a long time.

"I was just thinking," he said. "Got distracted."

Alana leaned against the counter beside him. "Dangerous when you're holding a knife."

"Probably," he said. "Then again, we've been trained to use all sorts of weapons until we can do it in our sleep. Not much chance of me cutting off a finger, really."

"I remember when Jason went through the hand-to-hand combat training," she said. "He always came home bruised up, and that was using rubber knives."

"We don't pull our punches in training," Clay said. "It sets a bad precedent. If we stop going full bore when we practice, we'll be more likely to hold back during actual combat."

"Which would be bad," she said. "I know. I got chapter and verse from Jason."

"On the upside, I think he'll wipe the floor with everybody, now that he's a Sentinel," Clay said. "He'll be just that much faster and stronger than pretty much everyone except fellow Sentinels."

"Including you?" Alana asked.

"Probably not me," he said. "But that's more because we're bonded. He can't hide things from me the way he can from anyone else."

Alana frowned and looked away. Clay sighed, set down the knife and turned to face her.

"Look, I could tap dance around this thing, but I think maybe being direct is best." 

"What thing?" she asked warily.

"You and how you're coping now that Jason is online," he said. 

"I'm fine," she said, looking away from him. As if that could stop him from getting a read on her.

"The thing is, I know you're not fine," he said gently. "I want to help, if I can."

"I'm just… dealing with it," she said. "This wasn't what I was expecting, but I'm handling it. I just—"

Clay waited, but she didn't finish her sentence.

"I was an only child growing up," he said, totally out of the blue. 

Alana turned and looked at him, completely puzzled at the non sequitur. 

"Which sucked, really, because when my folks divorced, I had no one else to commiserate with," he said. "I always wondered what it would be like to have siblings. Then I joined the SEALs and found a lot more annoying older brothers than I knew what to do with."

Alana chuckled, which was what he'd been aiming for.

"Bonding with Jason, though," he said, smiling despite his best effort not to. "Bonding with Jason has given me the true sibling relationship that I never had growing up. He's like my big brother. There will never be anything beyond that between us, but I'm so grateful to have that, given how lonely I was as a kid."

"I never knew that about you," she said. Clay could feel her concern slipping away, but there was a thread of worry still there.

"Not something I talk about a lot," he said.

"Did you always know you'd be a Guide?" she asked.

"No," he said. He snorted as he remembered back to his father's reaction to that bit of news. "My father is a Sentinel and an ex-SEAL. He assumed I'd be a Sentinel, too. So, when I was tested after I enlisted, and it showed I had the Guide gene… well, let's just say he wasn't happy."

"I'm sorry," she said. She laid a hand on his arm, rubbing gently. Clay could feel her genuine sorrow, and let it soothe his soul from the hurt he still carried over that moment from his past. "That must have been hard, not having your father's support."

"Yeah, well, I became a SEAL despite the fact that he'd always told me that a Guide couldn't be a SEAL." Clay shook his head. "I still don't think he's over me being a Guide, but he can shove his stupid assumptions up his ass for all I care."

Alana burst out laughing. "So, you're not still carrying around a heap of resentment. Good to know."

"Never said I was perfect," he said with a shrug. "About the only thing I worry about is whether I'll eventually fuck up my relationship with Stella because I'm a SEAL."

"Why would you do that?" Alana asked. "She's always seemed like she handles being a SEAL WAG pretty well."

"Ultimately, it's what broke up my folks' marriage," he said. "Mom resented the hell out of him at the end. Because he was away so much, and because he didn't—couldn't, really—talk about it. He wasn't the most communicative person in the world, and she hated that about him."

"I can understand that," she said quietly. "Watching the person you love pull away from you bit by bit until there's so much distance between you it can be measured in miles, even when you're in the same room."

That was a huge red flag to Clay, and he wondered if maybe that was her biggest fear after all.

"That's not going to happen to you and Jason," he said earnestly.

"No?" she asked with a humorless laugh. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because you have me, now," he said. She looked at him like he'd completely lost the plot. "Part of my job as Jason's Guide is to help him carry the burden of the work he does. Sentinels aren't wired to hold on to the past the way you and I do. But it's my job to help him work through any issues he does have. I'm his sounding board so he doesn’t have to bring those things home to you."

"And if we don't talk about those things, what do we talk about?" she asked. "The weather? Hockey scores?"

"Yes?" Clay said, though it came out far more like a question than he'd intended. "You get to have the kind of relationship with your husband that wives in every branch of the military would love to have. You get to have the best of Jason, and I get to handle everything else."

"That doesn't seem very fair to you," she said. "Or to Stella."

"I have the training that allows me to process and dismiss emotional turmoil, so I'm not really going to be burdening Stella with anything," he said. "Well, providing she sticks around."

"Jury's still out on that, huh?" Alana asked.

Clay shrugged. "She'll either be able to cope or she won't. To be fair, I didn't tell her I was a Guide, so she has every right to be upset with me."

"But she hasn't run for the hills yet, either," Alana said. "That's gotta count for something."

"Maybe," he said. "We'll see."

"Well, you let her know that she's always welcome here," Alana said. "It was nice having her over for dinner the other night."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Clay said. "And you know that I'm always here for you to talk to, right? I'm not just Jason's Guide. I'm… well, I'm here for all of you. You're family now, so if can help you at all, just ask."

There was a flash of gratitude from Alana that made him almost sag with relief. He felt more hopeful now than he had when their conversation started. The last thing he wanted to be was the reason Jason and Alana broke up.

"You better get back to cutting potatoes, Mister," Alana said when she'd finally pulled herself together. "Dinner doesn't make itself around here."

"Yes, ma'am," Clay said, popping off a half-assed salute, just because he could.

~o~


	5. Chapter 5

~o~

Jason knocked on the open door of Blackburn's office. "You wanted to see us, sir?"

"Come on in, gentlemen," Blackburn said. Clay followed Jason in, and both men stood at attention in front of their CO's desk. "At ease. Sit down, both of you."

They took a seat and waited quietly for Blackburn to talk. Clay figured they both knew what he wanted to talk about, and if Blackburn hadn't brought them in, Clay would have insisted on sitting down with their CO and talking about their new status and how it was going to impact the Team.

"So, you two settling in okay?" 

Jason looked at Clay, waving a hand as if to say, 'you take this one'. Clay just smiled and shook his head.

"We're good," he said, turning back to Blackburn. "We've registered with the Foundation and gotten our updated IDs; you should have the paperwork by now. We've run through some of the exercises the Foundation gave us, and it seems to be going well. If we have any issues that require us to go to the nearest Center, I'll let you know."

"Is that likely?" Blackburn asked.

"I don't think so," Clay said. "Jason is pretty well adjusted for a newly online Sentinel. I don't think we'll have any issues, but the real test will be our next deployment."

Blackburn looked at Jason. "You have anything to add?"

"No, sir," Jason said. "Like Clay said, my senses are balanced and I'm not experiencing any issues. I think we'll do fine on our next deployment."

"Alright," Blackburn said. "Do we need to talk about team structure? It's been a while since I've been on a Team with an online Sentinel and Guide pair, but as I recall, it's up to you two to decide whether any changes need to be made."

The Cascadia Foundation had fought hard for that right, back when they'd first formed and taken over responsibility for all Sentinels and Guides in the US. They'd argued—and rightly so—that what suited the institution the Sentinel served in—in this case, the military—didn't always suit the Sentinel. Having the ability to make changes to the unit—in particular, to get rid of anyone that the Sentinel didn't trust—was critical to their ability to function.

"I don't anticipate needing to make any changes," Jason said. "I trust everyone on the Team with my Guide's life, and I don't see that changing."

"I haven't noticed anything concerning within the Team," Clay said. "I'll want to be involved when it comes to picking any new team members, but I think that's a way off yet."

"Fair enough," Blackburn said. "Anything else we need to talk about? You're planning to keep Ray Perry as your 2IC, right?"

"Yes, Ray will remain 2IC," Jason said. "We'll work out any other dynamics with the Team."

"Sounds good to me," Blackburn said. "Please feel free to come to me if you have any issues or questions."

"Thank you, sir," Clay said.

"We'll be returned to the active rotation as long as you're good with that," Blackburn said. 

"Any idea when our next tour will be?" Clay asked. "I want to get a jump on preparing the family for that. It's going to much harder for them with both of us gone."

"We're several months out from that at this point, but I'll let you know when I hear anything," Blackburn said. "Now, the Team is planning a barbeque for this weekend. You up for attending?"

"Hell yeah, we'll be there," Jason said.

Clay chuckled. "You just want an excuse to drink beer."

"Like I need an excuse for that," Jason scoffed.

"The lack of beer at our house suggests that you need an excuse you can get past your wife," Clay said.

Blackburn laughed as Jason rolled his eyes. "All she ever buys is that fancy wine she likes. And you aren't helping, comparing notes on the wines you've had. It's ridiculous. I'm outnumbered in my own house."

"I thought you wanted me to get along with your wife," Clay said, the big grin on his face earning him a shove from Jason.

"And on that note, get out of here," Blackburn said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Jason and Clay stood up and came to attention. Blackburn waved them off so they both turned and headed out of the office. They walked down the corridor, headed in the direction of the Team Ready Room. Clay stopped just short of the door and turned toward Jason.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Jason asked.

"Because the last time we were in the field, you came online," Clay said. "I know we've been working on using your senses, and you're doing great. But we'll be in the field for the first time as a bonded pair, and your instincts are going to be demanding things of you that you've never experienced before. I just want to make sure you're ready for that."

Jason leaned against the wall next to Clay. "I don't know that I'll ever be ready for it until I go through it."

"Fair," Clay said. "At a minimum, we should talk to Ray about this. Make sure he knows what to expect. I don't like the idea of ambushing him with some new thing when we're taking fire on a mission."

"Yeah," Jason said. He slapped Clay on the shoulder as he moved around him to enter the Ready Room. "I'll let you handle that."

"Hey!" Clay said in his best whiney-little-brother voice as he followed Jason into the room. "No fair making me do all the dirty work."

Jason just laughed at him as he walked away.

~o~

The day of the barbeque was sunny and warm. The whole Team came out, including families and support personnel. There was plenty of beer—much to Jason's delight—and lots of meat per Sonny's request.

Clay had circulated the picnic area, greeting everyone and taking the emotional temperature of the group. For the most part, everyone there was supportive of Jason and Clay, and while some of them were mildly curious, they didn't pry. Clay vacillated between pleased and impressed.

"So, anybody raise a red flag?" Jason asked when Clay had finished his rounds and was holding up a tree on the edge of the picnic area.

"No," Clay said. He took a sip of his beer. "Everyone seems cool. Some curiosity around your status, so I definitely think an announcement is the way to go."

"Yeah, that's my read as well," Jason said. He took a sip of his own beer as he scanned the crowd.

"Your senses okay?" Jason looked at him, one eyebrow raised. Clay huffed. "You're using them to assess everyone you talk to, whether you realize it or not. This is the most you've used them since you came online. So, are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine," Jason said. "No issues with my senses at all. I'm even enjoying this beer. I swear I'm gonna get some on the way home and bury it in the backyard."

"Hey, it's not my fault there's no beer in the house," Clay said. "You've got a whole refrigerator in the garage. Fill it with beer. I doubt Alana would care."

"Your lips to God's ears," Jason said. He took another sip of beer. "So, you talk to Stella lately?"

Clay winced. "A couple days ago. She was busy working on a project for her degree, so she couldn't make it."

"And you believe that bullshit?"

"Eh," Clay said, shrugging one shoulder. "I try not to read her. I don't think she'd react well if she thought I was."

"But you did it anyway, didn't you?" Jason asked quietly.

Clay sighed. "Yeah, I did. She's… not ready. For any of this. It stresses her out even more than the active-duty SEAL stuff did. And I have no idea when or even if she will be ready."

"I'm sorry," Jason said. He pulled Clay close, just holding on to him for a few moments.

When he pulled back, Clay smiled his thanks, even though he probably didn't need to. All he could do was hope that Stella learned to accept this part of his life. If she didn't… well, it wasn't meant to be. 

"Everything okay over here?" 

Clay and Jason turned to watch Ray approaching. He knew Jason had heard the man because he'd tensed ever so slightly while they were hugging. Clay didn't actually mind the interruption. Ray had a very soothing presence, and it was a good opportunity to put Stella and that whole clusterfuck out of his mind for a while.

"Yeah, everything's good," Clay said. Not that they'd tell Ray if it wasn't. Clay didn't really want to air his relationship woes in front of the whole Team. That way lay madness. "You and Naima enjoying the barbeque?"

"Yeah, of course," Ray said with a smile.

"Good," Clay said. "There is something we should talk about, now that the dust is settled."

"Now, or…?" Ray asked, both eyebrows elevated.

"Now's good, if you don't mind," Clay said. 

"Alright," Ray said. "Lay it on me."

"Jason and I bonded after he came online during our last mission," Clay said. 

He figured he wasn't telling Ray anything he didn't already know, but he thought he should be clear about their status, so there were no surprises. He thinned his shields a little so he could get a read on Ray's reaction. He seemed to be accepting of the news, but Ray wasn't the kind to judge someone, so Clay wasn't really worried about him.

"I thought so," Ray said. "I mean, I know it's not something we're supposed to ask about, but you spent the whole flight home in the iso room. Only two reasons why you'd do that and given that you moved in with Jason the day we got back, I figured you'd bonded."

Clay nodded. "Do you have any concerns about us being bonded?"

"No," Ray said. "It's your business, and as long as you can help me keep Jason from getting into trouble, I figure it's all good."

"Hey!" Jason yelped. "I'm not that bad."

"Who you tryin' to fool, brother?" Ray asked with a smirk.

"So, Clay and I talked about it, and we're going to keep you as 2IC of the Team," Jason said. "There will be times when I'll lean on Clay due to his skillset, but overall, I want you to remain in place as Bravo Two."

"Whatever you need, brother," Ray said. "I figured that between the two of you, it'd be Brave One and Bravo 1.5. I expect that's how the rest of the team will see it, too, so you might want to factor that into your thinking."

"There are some situations where that's probably how it'll go," Clay said. "But we'll try to give you a heads-up when we think that's going to come into play."

"You gonna tell the rest of the team?" Ray asked.

"That's the plan," Jason said. "Blackburn has reactivated us, so we're officially back in the rotation."

"Well, you know I'm with you a hundred percent," Ray said.

He held out his hand and Jason took it, pulling Ray into a one-armed hug. Clay rolled his eyes at the very unsubtle imprinting he was doing. Ray didn't appear to mind, but with the rest of the team, it was probably going to have to be something a bit more formal because Clay had never seen Jason hug any of them.

Just as Jason was pulling back, Blackburn called for everyone's attention.

"It's good to see you all out here today to celebrate with friends," he said. "I know it's been a long few weeks, but I'm happy to say that we are officially back in the rotation."

Sonny, predictably, gave a Texas-sized whoop, drawing laughter out of the rest of the Team. Blackburn waved Jason forward to say a few words to the Team.

"As you might have already guessed, Clay and I have officially bonded," he said. "Functionally, the Team will operate as before, with Senior Chief Perry as Bravo Two to my Bravo One. There will be times when Clay and I will operate as a unit, so we'd appreciate your support as we adjust to that in the field."

"We'll keep an eye on the pretty boy for ya," Sonny drawled. 

"You do that," Jason said, raising his bottle of beer. "And thanks, for—well, just thanks."

Jason stepped back, and Clay could feel how uncomfortable he was at being the center of attention. It was odd, considering that he was the Team Lead. But giving a speech was a different thing than giving an order in the field. 

"Alright," Blackburn said, calling everyone's attention back to him. "Let's get this party started. The food's ready—and thank you to everyone who helped prepare it—so let's eat!"

Sonny gave another loud whoop and was—no surprise—the first in line for food. Everyone else followed him, and Jason and Clay brought up the rear.

"You ready for this?" Clay asked quietly. "You and I both know that the only easy day was yesterday. It'll only get more complicated from here."

Jason slung an arm around Clay's shoulders, pulling him in close. "Yeah, I'm ready."

The steady, calm hum of Jason in the back of his mind told Clay all he needed to know. They were ready, and with an advantage like theirs—an online Sentinel and his bonded Guide—the bad guys would never even have a chance.

~Finis


End file.
